


Dream a Little Dream of Me

by serenyty



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Inception, Dream Sharing, F/M, Pre-Relationship, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-01
Updated: 2014-10-01
Packaged: 2018-02-19 11:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2387366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serenyty/pseuds/serenyty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When an extraction job goes wrong, Jaime Lannister has to face a different kind of foe.</p>
<p>Inception AU</p>
<p>Written for Jaime/Brienne Appreciation week for days 2 and 3.<br/>One Quote and Favorite Symbolism</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dream a Little Dream of Me

**Author's Note:**

> Since this is an Inception AU it's probably better if you're familiar enough with that movie. You might be able to get this without it, but it'll be really strange otherwise.

                It was supposed to be a simple job. Enter the dream, two layers, get the information to help Catelyn Stark find her daughter. It was a job that, while not entirely legal, was more on the right side of the law than most jobs in dream extraction. The job was simple; Jaime had done this a thousand times, and he trusted Brienne unconditionally.

               However, as extractions are wont to do, things went wrong. Way wrong. About as wrong as any extraction could go. The mark had, unbeknownst to anyone, gotten security training, which meant dodging a barrage of things trying to do them harm. Then, Brienne realized that the mark only knew where Sansa Stark was subconsciously and it was buried deep. He was certainly involved, but kept himself far enough away from the actual planning to keep a level of ignorance to muck up any extraction. Jaime mentally reminded himself to fire their Point Man before suggesting to Brienne what was possibly the most idiotic and brilliant idea of his career - adding another layer,

                "I don't like it," Brienne said, shaking her head. The two of them were huddled behind the wall of a small cafe, trying to avoid the violent projections. "It's too dangerous. We can try again later."  
  
                "And wait for Baelish to get even more training? It's not going to get nicer in here if we wait. If anything, it will get worse."

                "We'll have a plan, a map, a layout. He may be trained more, but we'll be ready."

                "Brienne," Jaime said, moving over to gently grasp her shoulders. "We knew this would be our one shot. If we can't do this now you will never get to keep your oath."

                Brienne stared up at him. He wondered if she might kiss him. "But you'll be the only one there," she said. "I'm the dreamer of this dream. You'll have to do this alone." However much she questioned the logic of this choice,  accepting this much let Jaime know that she would do it.

                As the dreamer, Brienne got the items ready while Jaime forged, getting Baelish. Becoming Catelyn Stark was odd and not all that pleasant (fending off Baelish wasn't exactly his idea of a good time), but did the job as he lured Baelish to their location to set into place.

                After Baelish was set up, Brienne turned to Jaime. She gently stroked his arm as she slid in the needle, and he fell asleep.

               After that it was a blur. He tried desperately to find the information on Sansa Stark's location, but he couldn't find it. He searched everywhere, avoiding projections, but to no avail.  After perceived days of searching he finally found what he was looking for; a map, representing the location of Sansa. He gave a shout and, suddenly, everything went to hell.

                Jaime was floating, flying, everywhere and nowhere at once. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to handle the stimuli, until he felt a strong but gentle hand touch his shoulder. He opened his eyes and let out a sob of relief. “Brienne,” he said, “I did it, I found Sansa Stark, we can complete our vow.” Brienne remained silent. Jaime frowned, looking at her. Shouldn’t she be celebrating, relieved that they could finally help Catelyn Stark?

                He looked around and his heart thudded. They were surrounded by a sea of nothing but white, with no landmarks and nothing around them. “Brienne, where are we?” Jaime asked.

                As soon as he finished his question, the landscape immediately began to change, colors and shapes shifting around him. It was disorienting and terrifying but he could only look.

                Brienne then looked directly at him. “This place is wherever you want it to be.”

                As Brienne finished speaking, the world snapped into place and they were in an apartment. It looked like his own small one bedroom apartment he lived in between jobs, but seemingly infinitely more spacious. Among his belongings were things he didn’t recognize but immediately understood to be hers. To be Brienne’s. There were framed pictures of them together, photos he didn’t remember taking but implicitly understood that they had taken together.

                Brienne was by his side then and handed him a glass of wine, taking a sip from her own glass.

                “What’s going on?” Jaime asked, not drinking from the glass.

                “Isn’t this what you always wanted? A pleasant life with Brienne, one without worry, or fear, just the two of you.”

               Jaime’s heart ached. This was like a dream; it was everything he had wanted with Brienne, but had never said aloud.

                “Or,” she said, setting down her wine, “is Brienne still imperfect. You always called me ugly, wench.” Slowly, Brienne’s features began to morph. Her freckles disappeared, she shrunk shorter, her breasts grew larger. Her waist shrunk, her hair changed to match his hair color. Changes compounded on changes until Jaime realized. He took a step back, eyes wide. In Brienne’s place stood his sister, Cersei. She walked towards Jaime as he backed up.

                “This isn’t what I wanted,” Jaime choked, almost astonishing himself with the truth of his words. Despite his love for Cersei, once, the two of them had grown apart. He had kept telling himself that he just needed to prove himself, he just needed to do something right for Cersei to come back, for them to be together again. Now, faced with their reunion, he realized that there was no way to go back to what once was. He was a fundamentally different person.

                "No," Cersei agreed, "You wanted the ugly one." Jaime blinked and saw Brienne again, as if the moment with Cersei had never happened.

                "Don't call yourself that," he said softly.

                "It's what you call me," Brienne said, "and it's not the worst of what you have called me."  


                Jaime flinched. He knew that when they had met that he had been awful to Brienne, but he had hoped that she could put that behind her. "I'm sorry."

                Brienne set down their glasses and took his hands in hers. "Don't be. It doesn't matter here. If you really wanted me to be different I could change."

                Jaime nodded.

                "We can just stay here, you know."  She led him over to a plush couch and had them sit down. Jaime complied. "There doesn't have to be any extraction, any Cersei, any Catelyn Stark. Just you and me." She leaned towards him and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.

                At first Jaime complied, eagerly kissing her back. He had wanted Brienne for some time. Only, a thought plagued his mind. He tried to ignore it, continuing to kiss Brienne, but the thought wouldn't leave him alone. He gently pulled back from her, trying to ignore her swollen lips and bright eyes.

                "Catelyn Stark. You said Catelyn Stark. We have to help her find her daughter Sansa."

                "Does that really matter?" She asked.

                Jaime stared. Of course it mattered. But Brienne wouldn't ask such a question. Brienne was the one who had the honor, who thought of what they were doing as a duty. She viewed their agreement to help Catelyn Stark as an oath, one that should not be broken. He realized what he felt like he should have realized all along. This wasn't Brienne.

                "No, I'm not," Brienne spoke, answering his thoughts. "But does that really matter?"

                "Of course it does. I want Brienne, not...."

                "I'm your memories of Brienne and your desires for Brienne, the desires you acknowledge and the desires that are subconscious," she answered.

                "But you're not really her."         

                Brienne shrugged. "No, but isn't this easier? You could live a life here, a full life, everything you have ever wanted coming to pass. We can create your perfect life, with none of the stress or heartache."

                "I want Brienne, not this." He tried to wrack his brain, thinking of where they could be before he realized.

                "Limbo." Brienne said quietly.

                Jaime had heard people mention limbo before; it was the type of thing that spread between extractors through whispers and rumors. The last he'd heard a group had managed to escape limbo, but he knew that it was hard to wrench yourself from it. The one way to escape was the one common way to escape all dreams: death.

                Suddenly, an object appeared in his lap. He looked down to see a sword. He lifted it, surprised to be able to wield such a weapon without training.

                "Living here would be easier," Brienne reminded him.

                "Easier, but I made a vow to help Catelyn Stark. I cannot do that in here, as much as I would like to stay and live with you, Brienne."

                Brienne nodded. Jaime lifted the weapon, what he knew instinctively to be named Oathkeeper. Across the room he saw another figure. It was himself, but also a younger version of himself, who smirked over to him. Jaime walked over, and as he walked he saw that the younger version of himself was kneeling, his neck on an execution block. Jaime reached himself, only hesitating a moment before lifting Oathkeeper and bringing it down and killing himself in one strong swoop.

               

                Jaime awoke, slowly opening his eyes. Brienne was leaning over him, eyes filled with unshed tears. "Jaime, are you alright?" she asked.

                Jaime slowly sat up and looked around him. His team was slowly dispersing, as was the plan. Baelish was still asleep in his seat on the train. The two of them would have to leave soon, too, so that Baelish wouldn't catch them when he awoke.

                Jaime looked over back to Brienne, heart racing. He looked at her lips; they weren't swollen with kisses. He reached into his pocket and felt for his totem, feeling the weight of the small metal lion, assuring himself that he was really awake. He looked into Brienne's eyes, and took one of his hands in hers.

                "I dreamed of you."


End file.
